Post-Dispatch file photo
Bogart's Smokehouse
Of the big names of St. Louis’ decade-plus barbecue boom, no place looks and feels today as much like it did in its first year as Bogart’s Smokehouse. You still must squeeze yourself and your tray wherever you can find space in the shotgun dining room — and you’re still one wrong step from ending up in the kitchen. The menu hasn’t changed much. (I still dream of the return of the smoked prime rib, though.) More importantly, the quality of the pork ribs, pastrami and other meats has been unwaveringly excellent. The Bogart’s team set a standard and have stuck to it. Booms end. Timeless is timeless.
Hours: 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday-Tuesday, 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday
Last year's ranking: Rest of the Best
Opened: 2011